narquespamley

Klipsch offers a cool option where you can order a custom grille for this speaker based on your own artwork.

http://www.klipsch.com/customgrille

One concern based on a number of amazon reviews is airplay reliability. This may be resolved by a firmware upgrade, but it's very difficult to determine this conclusively from strongly conflicting reviews.

While the pcmag review indicates streaming problems were resolved with an iOS update in early 2012, Amazon user reviews in late 2012 and early 2013 are still having problems.

showcaller

Without Bluetooth isn't this thing a bit self defeating. I just bought the wireless bluetooth speaker here on Woot a couple of weeks ago for $30.00 It runs on AC or batteries and it will be perfect for getting tunes into our backyard this summer at bar b cues. I tried it with my laptop and iPhone and it sounds great. Not so sure this is a deal, even if it was bluetoothable.

mikem53

showcaller wrote:Without Bluetooth isn't this thing a bit self defeating. I just bought the wireless bluetooth speaker here on Woot a couple of weeks ago for $30.00 It runs on AC or batteries and it will be perfect for getting tunes into our backyard this summer at bar b cues. I tried it with my laptop and iPhone and it sounds great. Not so sure this is a deal, even if it was bluetoothable.

Maybe you should read the specs.. This is wifi wireless capable, better range than BT, lossless compression for better sound. Klipsch is known for quality drivers and high end sound. Seems this is a good value for those who want a portable way of getting hi-fi sound wirelessly with all the benefits of network control.. A descent buy for many...

chrispdunning

SpeedRacerXT wrote:No Bluetooth, no deal! The world doesn't revolve around apple technology and all their proprietary mess - I'll wager my Jambox sounds just as good.

I'll tell you right now (as an owner of both) that this and the Jambox are two exceedingly different devices. The Jambox is a great little portable speaker, and it manages to mask many of the shortcomings of Bluetooth audio compression, but it doesn't begin to compare to the G-17. The G-17 has better range and AirPlay adds less noise to your audio. The G-17 is is designed for home listening, and because of that it sounds much better.

I could understand your frustration if Woot didn't ever put Bluetooth speakers up, but they do all the time. Not every deal needs to fit your usage, and for those of us who have the choice of AirPlay and A2DP Bluetooth (because, believe it or not Apple gives iPhone users both), we are happy to take a speaker that targets the better quality format. In the mean time, instead of whining like someone just kicked your dog because a company chose to support Apple's format, you could look around the Play Store or your favorite app distribution channel and install one of the plethora of apps that emulates AirPlay on Android.

electricfx

Maybe, you should stop saying maybe to people. I've read the specs and the only way it's "compatible" with other non apple devices is through a 3.5 mm analog input. The reviews say even the usb only works with Apple. The Wi-Fi is for Air-Play. Regardless, I'm not sure why you enjoy scolding others.

mikem53 wrote:Maybe if u quit complaining and read the specs, you would see its compatible with other devices..

bluemaple

- If you're picky about sound then the silly less than $50 speaker boxes are a joke.

- If you love boomy, overblown and distorted bass like that that causes the trim pieces in your car to shake, then you won't like anything from Klipsch or JBL.

- If you appreciate clear, clean sound with tight base, you won't be as happy with wirelessly streamed sound compared to wired sound - *especially* Bluetooth, which makes crappy sound. (Of course your speaker/amp quality has to be high enough quality to discern the difference.)

- If you especially like tight, clean base in a small package (edit: look at the dimensions or cnet video - 'small', meaning not a home theater setup) then this Klipsch or the comparable JBL (a bit ugly) are good choices, especially when they drop into the less than $200 range.

bartdog

mikem53 wrote:Maybe you should read the specs.. This is wifi wireless capable, better range than BT, lossless compression for better sound. Klipsch is known for quality drivers and high end sound. Seems this is a good value for those who want a portable way of getting hi-fi sound wirelessly with all the benefits of network control.. A descent buy for many...

When the opening paragraph says it's apple tech, people who don't have apple devices tend to stop reading and don't bother with the rest of the specs.

narquespamley

electricfx wrote:Maybe, you should stop saying maybe to people. I've read the specs and the only way it's "compatible" with other non apple devices is through a 3.5 mm analog input. The reviews say even the usb only works with Apple. The Wi-Fi is for Air-Play. Regardless, I'm not sure why you enjoy scolding others.

For the love of God, read other people's posts and do a little research before making such a scene.

mikem53

electricfx wrote:Maybe, you should stop saying maybe to people. I've read the specs and the only way it's "compatible" with other non apple devices is through a 3.5 mm analog input. The reviews say even the usb only works with Apple. The Wi-Fi is for Air-Play. Regardless, I'm not sure why you enjoy scolding others.

Maybe you should read up on AirPlay and this product.. All u need is a airplay app... Such as iTunes.. Which can then talk to your non-apple network and use your home network to play thru.. If you read it you will see it says black-and-white TV, iPad and PC can be used.. iTunes can send its content thru the network... Shezzz..

sdblair

Ugh! I really want to get this, but I don't want to get burned by the Airplay fiasco.

I bought an Audyssey LES Airplay speaker from woot a while back, and the sound is very good. The Airplay works fine once connected. But if you turn off the music and then come back the next day, the speaker doesn't show up in the Airplay menu. You need to cycle the speaker. Not very convenient, especially since I wanted to put the speaker where I can't reach it easily.

This seems to be a common issue with Airplay docs. I should probably just bite the bullet and pay for a Sonos system.

coolman01231

mikem53 wrote:Maybe you should read up on AirPlay and this product.. All u need is a airplay app... Such as iTunes.. Which can then talk to your non-apple network and use your home network to play thru.. If you read it you will see it says black-and-white TV, iPad and PC can be used.. iTunes can send its content thru the network... Shezzz..

Maybe all you need is a pair of pliars, a mirror, flexibility, free time, a trash bin, and wet wipes to pull that stick of yours out of you know where. He doesnt want to jump through hoops to do something many other speaker sets can currently do in one step.

91Bear

turb0z

Can anyone confirm that the AirPlay only allows playback through itunes? I primarily play music through pandora on my iPhone, so having something that is limited to just itunes wouldn't be a deal breaker, but unfortunate. I like being able to connect my phone to other bluetooth capable systems (my receiver, headphones, etc) and just play any sound from my phone.

osubrndn

turb0z wrote:Can anyone confirm that the AirPlay only allows playback through itunes? I primarily play music through pandora on my iPhone, so having something that is limited to just itunes wouldn't be a deal breaker, but unfortunate. I like being able to connect my phone to other bluetooth capable systems (my receiver, headphones, etc) and just play any sound from my phone.

turboz i have iphone/ipad and i have apple TV which uses Airplay. I bought this today. I'm 99% confident that it streams whatever audio from your phone to it (just like apple tv sans the picture).

So if you played pandora from your phone and connected via airplay (which takes about 4 seconds to do) then it woulds stream to the player.

electricfx

Ugghhh third party apps with mixed reviews is probably not the best answer for someone to quickly and easily get music to the device with a non apple product. There is nothing wrong with Apple or this device ok? I love them both. This device however, is made primarily to function as an Apple Airplay device which is great if you have an Apple device(I have several). For others a speaker with Bluetooth is a better answer. Is it possible? Yes. With a trip to Radio Shack and some time it's also possible for me to use your microwave as a wireless speaker.

narquespamley wrote:For the love of God, read other people's posts and do a little research before making such a scene.

filmmakker

I got this about a month ago when Woot was selling it directly via Amazon.com for $220. That was a great deal -- this is even better.

I'm a technology journalist/recovering audiophile/gadget junkie so I'll try to answer some questions:

1. How well does the AirPlay work?

In my experience, it's flawless. It may end up having to do with your WiFi setup and what version of iOS you're using. With the latest versions of iOS 6 and OS X, I have had zero drop-outs.

The configuration is dead-simple and you can send 99% of music/video apps from iOS directly to the speaker using AirPlay. There are a few apps that don't work with AirPlay, but all the major music services (Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, Slacker) work.

This also works really well with the Apple TV if you want to stream music off of your collection that way or use it as a soundbar with your TV that way.

When I first saw the G-17 at a Klipsch event in New York City, I was really, really impressed with its sound. It was a busy room with lots of people and the speaker still managed to put out the sound to fill the space.

Like all Klipsch products, this isn't for heavy, bumping bass -- though it does a good job with bass -- but the sound is really ideal for a flat listening experience. This is what I tend to prefer and the highs and mids are really, really lovely.

I tested the G-17 against the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air and the Altec Lansing that are in the same MSRP range and the Klipsch was my favorite.

In short, this sounds like a $550 speaker -- which is the MSRP. Back in 2011, the $550 was too much for me to pay but at $200, that's a different ball game.

3. Other Uses - Klipsch doesn't advertise this but the speaker actually supports DLNA so if you have a DLNA device or app on your Android tablet, that works with this quite well. Moreover, there are a lot of AirPlay apps on Google Play that I've tested with this unit without issue. That said, AirPlay is an Apple technology and this is really designed for the Apple user. In my house we have an iMac, a MacBook Air, a MacBook Pro, iPad, iPad mini, two iPhone smartphones and two Apple TV devices. My experience is that of someone who is deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem.

As for using it as a soundbar -- you can, but the results aren't totally ideal. You can use an RCAP to 3.5mm adaptor and that works, but the sound isn't as good as if it were straight analog or coming from an optical out.

Having said that, it works really well with the Apple TV and the DLNA on my Blu-ray player (Sony), which makes it a nice option for movies and music that way.

bluemaple

asmcavoy wrote:I've been looking for an indoor speaker system recently. I was very close to buying the BOSE Sound link and now theres this Klipsch. Is it worth dropping the extra $100 for the BOSE?

BOSE & Klipsch are on different planets soundwise.

Those folks who like one tend to *hate* the other.

Since I detest BOSE sound, I'll leave describing its sound to BOSE lovers. I would not buy it even at a heavy discount vs. other seakers.

As several people here and in the linked reviews have said, Klipsch sound is clean, crisp, and flat (flat, as in it does not emphasize parts of the spectrum). That means no boomy/muddy/distorted bass. No overly bright/brassy highs.

Listen to them yourself but note that heavy bass might temp in a demo but get really tiresome after several hours of listening at home.

jsh139

Anyone know if this will work with Lightning connector devices? (iPhone 5, iPad 4, etc). Yes, I know it can play via AirPlay and 3.5mm input. The description says it will dock/charge via USB with 30-pin connectors. Will it also dock/charge with Lightning connectors?

Woot.com is operated by Woot Services LLC.
Products on Woot.com are sold by Woot, Inc., other than items on Wine.Woot which are sold by the seller specified on the product detail page.
Product narratives are for entertainment purposes and frequently employ
literary point of view;
the narratives do not express Woot's editorial opinion.
Aside from literary abuse, your use of this site also subjects you to Woot's
terms of use
and
privacy policy.
Woot may designate a user comment as a Quality Post, but that doesn't mean we agree with or guarantee anything said or linked to in that post.